Power outage at Rundu hospital blamed for newborn’s death

A YOUNG mother is considering suing the Ministry of Health after a botched operation, which allegedly led to the death of her newborn baby at Rundu State Hospital.

Beloma Auchumes (27) gave birth to, what the family described as a healthy baby girl, but she was dead three hours later – allegedly because of exposure to cold and dusty wind during the birth process. Brother to Beloma, Berlin Auchumeb, told The Namibian that their problems started when the hospital experienced an electricity cut and the back-up power generator also failed to work for the whole day on June 24.Auchumeb said his sister had to give birth in candlelight and the hall had no door with the process taking place in full view of others in the same hall.”She had to find out in the morning that her baby was long gone (dead),” Auchumeb said.Baby Percia was buried at Otjiwarongo a week ago after the family insisted on taking the body for an independent medical opinion, although the hospital authorities allegedly wanted to keep it.They were still awaiting the results of the independent investigation, which was carried out at Grootfontein.Auchumeb claimed that the chief medical officer, Dr Yuri Yangazov, was not very receptive to their complaints.”The response from the chief medical officer to the mother of the deceased was ‘you can go get your lawyer.He will be a zero to us’,” Auchumeb claimed.Repeated efforts by The Namibian throughout the whole of last week to get hold of Dr Yangazov proved futile.Auchumeb said the family was consulting lawyers to take further action against hospital management.Brother to Beloma, Berlin Auchumeb, told The Namibian that their problems started when the hospital experienced an electricity cut and the back-up power generator also failed to work for the whole day on June 24.Auchumeb said his sister had to give birth in candlelight and the hall had no door with the process taking place in full view of others in the same hall.”She had to find out in the morning that her baby was long gone (dead),” Auchumeb said.Baby Percia was buried at Otjiwarongo a week ago after the family insisted on taking the body for an independent medical opinion, although the hospital authorities allegedly wanted to keep it.They were still awaiting the results of the independent investigation, which was carried out at Grootfontein.Auchumeb claimed that the chief medical officer, Dr Yuri Yangazov, was not very receptive to their complaints.”The response from the chief medical officer to the mother of the deceased was ‘you can go get your lawyer.He will be a zero to us’,” Auchumeb claimed.Repeated efforts by The Namibian throughout the whole of last week to get hold of Dr Yangazov proved futile.Auchumeb said the family was consulting lawyers to take further action against hospital management.